Conductive epoxy instead of Solder?

Has anyone used conductive expoxy instead of solder to assemble a PCB? I currently apply Pb/Sn solder paste, then pop the board into my trusty $29 toaster oven for a couple minutes. But now I am trying to mount some BGAs with lead-free solder balls. My toaster oven doesn't get hot enough to melt the lead-free solder. I could go back to Walmart and buy a better toaster oven, but I would still have no way to check the integrity of the solder joints. So I am thinking of trying conductive epoxy. This would be for prototyping, not production. If anyone has any experience (good or bad) or can recommend a brand of conductive epoxy that works well, please let me know.

Here are some links:

Reply to
Bob
Loading thread data ...

I haven't tried conductive epoxy yet, but have you checked out this link? It looks pretty well-researched.

formatting link

Reply to
jcomeau_ictx

You could take it to your local vet or dentist to X-ray it..!

Reply to
Mike Harrison

If this was a good idea, you would see it done all the time.

formatting link

Reply to
JeffM

There's lots of solders available; Indium Co. makes low melting point variants that can work with your toaster (and this is NOT a production issue, it's prototyping; don't worry about lead-free issues).

Conductive epoxy has its uses, but it isn't intended for this and is likely to cause bridges or other unreliable connections.

Reply to
whit3rd

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.